German FRITZ! Lab with countless innovations at the CeBIT

AVM once again gave visitors a sneak preview of current developments in the crowd-pleasing German FRITZ! Lab at this year's CeBIT. Inquisitive visitors can find out about all of the new functions awaiting them for network storage, DECT telephony, smart phones and WLAN (avm.de/labor). One prime example is FRITZ!NAS, which will consolidate all of the FRITZ!Box's network storage in a web browser for ease of use. The new Eco Mode reduces power output to zero for DECT, while the FRITZ!Fon has a whole host of new and convenient functions such as caller photo display. Innovations for WLAN will also be showcased: for the first time, interference from other wireless transmitters is accounted for in the automatic channel search. And soon it will be possible to operate the FRITZ!WLAN Repeater as a web radio. Other FRITZ! Lab versions are available for FRITZ!App, Streaming Stick and IPv6. The FRITZ! Labs are available only for German products.

FRITZ! Lab for network storage (NAS)

With the new FRITZ!NAS, AVM has demonstrated just how easy it can be to use the FRITZ!Box for network storage. No matter whether internal, online or USB storage, everything will be consolidated under the browser address "fritz.nas" in the future. This gives you a fast, easy and convenient way to use files in and around the FRITZ!Box. Shared images, videos, music or documents are easy to store with the FRITZ!Box and can be accessed from all computers and network devices.

FRITZ! Lab for DECT and telephony

The FRITZ!Fon MT-F demonstrates the merits of its brilliant large color display in the new FRITZ! telephony lab. A photo that you add for a contact in the FRITZ!Box telephone book right on your PC is displayed whenever the person calls. The enhanced DECT Eco Mode (No Emission) is also new. If no calls are currently being made, the power output falls to zero. Eco Mode can be switched on and off manually or combined with a night service configuration.

FRITZ! Lab for app

With its new app for the iPhone and smart phones that use the Android operating system, AVM has opened up a whole range of new possibilities in conjunction with the FRITZ!Box. The app connects the smart phone to the FRITZ!Box via WLAN, making new functions available to the user. Smart phones, for instance, can be used within the WLAN network of the FRITZ!Box to make low-cost calls over VoIP and the fixed-line network. Other FRITZ!Box functions like the telephone book or answering machine are also available.

FRITZ! Lab for WLAN

A German lab for in-depth WLAN analysis was presented for the first time at the CeBIT this year. A feature for automatic detection and identification of sources of interference in the 2.4-GHz band will be added to the current analysis. The information collected in the spectrum analysis is incorporated into the "Auto channel" function of the FRITZ!Box, thus dynamically updating the WLAN channel automatically. The WLAN monitor displays precise information on potential interference from audio/video wireless systems ("video bridges"), Bluetooth devices and, in a second step, even microwaves. Sources of interference can thus be systematically eliminated.

FRITZ! Lab for Streaming Stick

AVM also presented its Streaming Stick: an innovative way to stream images, music and videos to playback devices with USB ports. It is unbelievably easy: when you insert the FRITZ!WLAN USB stick v1.1 into your stereo or TV, it is identified as a normal USB memory stick. Photos, music and other data are streamed from the FRITZ!Box via WLAN. The FRITZ!Box in turn obtains the data from local storage, from a PC or via online storage from the Internet. AVM presented an updated German lab at the CeBIT.

FRITZ! Lab for IPv6

AVM is taking its role as IPv6 pioneer one step further: it unveiled a new lab version at this year's CeBIT, thus forging ahead with the extremely successful IPv6 initiative launched last year at the CeBIT 2009. In the future, it will be possible to individually customize the Stateful Packet Inspection firewall to the IPv6 level so that incoming IP connections can be used, for example, for server services, online games or file sharing programs. Another new feature is the device overview in the FRITZ!Box user interface. This display not only shows all of the settings for each individual network device, it also allows for changes (blocking access for children, port activation, etc.). With a simple click of the mouse, you can also access the enabled resources of the network devices. No special network settings are required. The FRITZ! IPv6 Lab is also available for English users at www.avm.de/en.

FRITZ!WLAN Repeater with new audio functions

AVM gave a sneak preview of two audio enhancements for the German FRITZ!WLAN Repeater N/G at the CeBIT. The repeater will also be able to play audio content from Internet radio stations in the future. The connection to the stereo, for example, can be analog (plug), digital (S/PDIF) or via an FM transmitter. It's a cinch to change stations with the touch-sensitive LED display. The repeater also has a UPnP renderer as a second function. Devices with a UpnP control point function (such as Windows 7 or currently available smart phones) can remotely control the playback of music titles on the FRITZ! media server. The repeater's UpnP renderer made its debut at the CeBIT and will be part of future updates.

www.avm.de/labor

AVM demonstrates how quickly and easily users can benefit from new features ahead of time with the German FRITZ! Lab. The newest functions for fans of the FRITZ!Box are offered for free download from www.avm.de/labor.